Under the Moon
by Kaylien
Summary: A story about Don and Robin, their relationship, family and life . I can't resist focusing on the other characters too, if only a little. I tried mixing multiple genres. I hope you like it.
1. Chapter 1

-l-l-l-l- Under the moon –l-l-l-l-

|Disclaimer: I don't own Numb3rs or any of the characters.|

| Spoilers: None. Not yet.|

|A/N: I never thought I'd write a story like this. I tried mixing all possible genres I could think of. The fluff of this particular chappy is not the only place I'm going with this fic. Expect quite a lot of drama in upcoming chaps. I started writing this story when I heard 'Under the Moon of Love' by Showaddywaddy on the radio one day. This is not a song fic. I do use lyrics, but only one line per chapter. The lyrics used in this fic are placed between brackets [_and in italics_]. I'm not new to the fandom, but I am new to this style of writing.|

|Reviews are love|

-l-l-l-l-

[_Let's sit down and talk, under the moon of love_]

She breathes love into his mouth. Don feels it like he's never felt it before. Magic. He considers it a cliché, but he also realizes that this is it. She's the one. Robin is his magic. That one moment he knows who he wants to spend the rest of his days with, who he wants to grow old with. He just knows. Yes, a cliché, but not less true.

Robin takes him to the beach. She pulls him away from work to a place without violence. It's late in the evening, it's dark, but they can still see every detail of the other's face. She guides him to one of her favorite spots near the sea. They sit down on the sand and with her left hand she reaches for his right one. Robin is guiding him again and he lets her. With Robin near, Don doesn't feel like he needs to be in control of the situation. He lets go. He lets her surprise him. She guides his hand to her belly. She doesn't have to tell him because he knows where this is heading, but it still feels good to use the words.

"We're pregnant," she whispers into his ear. Don doesn't know what to say and she doesn't expect him to bring out any clever words. She allows him to process this new bit of information. They're in this together. It's that simple.

Don keeps his hand on her belly, like a magnetic force welcoming him, but at the same time not allowing him to break contact. It's inviting, but overwhelming at the same time.

"I'm right here," she assures him, "we're not going anywhere."

He hopes she's telling him the truth. Robin's hand is still on top of Don's. She can't let go either. Deep down she knows she doesn't have to let go. He's hers. Forever.

Realization hits him, it's not a cliché. It's not love she breathes into his mouth when she kisses him. It's life, or maybe it's both. She moves him, she moves his world. She makes him feel _alive_.

tbc

-l-l-l-l-


	2. Chapter 2

-l- Under the Moon -l-

-l- Chapter II –l-

| Disclaimer: I don't own Numb3rs or any of the characters. |

| Spoilers: None. Not yet. |

| Reviews are love |

-l-l-l-l-

[_Let's sit down and talk_]

Robin squeezes Don's hand before they enter the Craftsman house. Don can't put a finger on his feelings. He's nervous, but doesn't fully understand why. His dad is going to be on cloud nine when he finds out. He knows that for a fact. It doesn't matter, he still has trouble soothing the nervousness threatening to overwhelm him.

Alan Eppes is busy preparing dinner in the kitchen when they step inside.

"Dinner's almost ready. Charlie and Amita are in the basement," Alan greets them.

"Okay," Don yells back, "need any help there?"

"No, Donnie. Just tell them dinner's ready."

Don releases Robin's hand and that's when he realizes he was holding it in the first place. She gives him one of her smiles.

"You face all sorts of criminals on a daily basis, don't tell me Special Agent Don Eppes is scared of his father and little brother," Robin teases.

"I'm not scared," he whispers back.

She leans forward, kisses him and then she moves her mouth to his ear and asks, "Before or after dinner?"

He returns the smile. "After. It'll be better than dessert."

-l-l-l-l-

They eat and talk about everything and nothing. Charlie talks about failing one of his students and asks for advice. There's not much his family can offer him. They have faith in Charlie. They know he will find a way to tell the student without giving him the wrong impression. They also know that Charlie wants the best for his students and that things will work out in the end.

"I'm sure it'll work out, Charlie," Alan offers.

"I don't know, dad. He doesn't seem like the type to just accept failure."

"Don't worry, Chuck. If anyone can explain things, it's you.

"Don's right," Amita agrees, "you just have to believe in yourself."

Charlie sees right through their attempt to make him feel better, but he doesn't care. They make him feel like he can take on the world.

"So er," Charlie starts with a grin, "any _less depressing _news?"

That's when Don throws a glance at Robin. _Tell them now_? She reads his mind and simply nods. She allows Don to tell his family the big news, even if these people are her family too.

"I have to say dinner was a lot of fun. The _six_ of us together."

Charlie smirks. "You mean five, Don," he corrects his big brother.

Robin can't hide a smile of her own, a really big smile. "No, Charlie, your brother means six."

"Amita, you guys, dad and me. _Five_," he persists. He's counting numbers, numbers he can see.

Alan catches on. The older man is happy he's sitting down, he feels the need to catch his breath for a few seconds.

Amita isn't far behind.

"You know what, Chuck? For a genius you do have your slow moments." Don doesn't mean to offend his little brother. He knows how his brother's mind works. He _tries_ to understand. The numbers first, the coherent thoughts later.

"Wha-" Charlie freezes. He gets it now. He gets why they're all smiling like fools.

"I'm going to be an uncle," he manages to whisper.

tbc


	3. Chapter 3

-l- Under the Moon -l-

-l- Chapter III -l-

| Disclaimer: I don't own Numb3rs or any of the characters. |

| Spoilers: None. Not yet. |

| Reviews are love |

-l-l-l-l-

"You look beautiful," Don tries to make Robin feel better.

"I look fat," she shoots back. She's in a bad mood, not her first bad mood since the start of her pregnancy. He can't blame her, even if she scares him a little when she's angry.

"And it's your fault," she adds.

He wonders if she's joking or being serious. He figures he needs to steer clear of this particular subject.

"I'm going to explode."

Now, what does one respond to a statement like that, Don wonders. It's like a trick question. He can see she's really tired. The morning sickness gets really bad, he knows. She's so much stronger than he is. That's what he truly believes.

"Okay, we'll cancel the gynaecologist and alert the bomb squad. I know a few of those guys personally," he tries to lighten the mood.

"Is that a poor attempt at a joke, Don Eppes?" she asks.

She's using his full name again. He still hasn't decided if that's endearment or frustration. Probably both, he figures, depending on the context. She's only a few months pregnant and already she feels like she's going to float away, like a big balloon.

She loves him with all her heart, but it's still his fault she's carrying all the extra weight. She smiles at the thought. A baby. Her baby. She scratches those thoughts, _their baby_. They haven't decided on a name, not yet. They haven't even discussed names yet. There will be time for that in the future.

-l-l-l-l-

"This one's a girl," the ultrasound technician points out.

Don's mouth falls open at that statement. "This one?" he repeats. It sounds like a question, but he heard every word. He just wants to make sure he isn't in the middle of a dream.

"Yes, Mr. Eppes. Congratulations, you're expecting twins," she explains like it's a random statement. Like it's something she sees every day and who knows, maybe she does.

"What about the other baby?" Robin manages to ask as soon as she finds her voice again.

It takes a while before the female technician gives them an answer. "Looks like this little one's a boy," she finally tells the nervous duo.

The first thing which comes to mind is that knowing their child's sex doesn't narrow down their search for a name, not at all. If anything, they're going to have to think of two names now.

Robin's happy Don is right there, holding her hand. The shock on his face is still clearly visible, but she's sure her face is showing the same emotions. There's surprise mixed with doubt. _Two babies_. Robin doesn't doubt Don and Don sure as hell doesn't doubt Robin. They doubt their own capabilities. They doubt themselves.

-l-l-l-l-

"I have an idea for a name for our little girl," Robin admits.

Don looks up at that. He's going through a case file, but can't help forgetting all about the case when he hears her say those words. "You do?" he asks.

"I was thinking Margaret. _Maggy_. After your mom."

Once again Don Eppes is at a loss for words. He thinks about it for a couple of seconds and then decides he loves her idea. "Dad would like that," he thinks out loud.

"What about _you_," Robin pushes.

He doesn't hesitate. "I love it," he simply replies.

"Good," she says, "me too."

"And I love you," he adds.

She eyes him for a moment without saying anything, then she whispers, "I love you too, Don Eppes."

He smiles. Endearment it is.

tbc


	4. Chapter 4

-l- Under the Moon -l-

-l- Chapter IV -l-

| Disclaimer: I don't own Numb3rs or any of the characters. |

| Spoilers: None. Not yet. |

| Mistakes are mine. |

| Reviews are love. |

-l-l-l-l-

"I don't have classes tomorrow. You can take my car," Charlie offers.

Don's SUV doesn't feel like cooperating and Charlie's Prius seems like a good alternative for the time being. _Just to get home tonight_. He throws a quick glance at Robin. She looks exhausted, _almost nine months of pregnancy will do that to you_. Maybe they should spend the night at Charlie's place. Charlie and dad wouldn't mind.

"I'm fine," she immediately says. It's not that she doesn't like the old house, she really does. It's just that she can't resist precious alone time with _her_ Don. "Let's go home," she adds. She turns her attention to Charlie. "Thank you." _She means it_. _Thank you for making more alone time possible_. She needs every minute she can get. Don tries to be there for her, but he's still a bit of a workaholic, something she may never be able to change. She doesn't even try to change him, because she knows what it's like to have a career. He deserves it. But she knows, he really is trying to be there, for her _and_ the babies.

If Charlie and Alan Eppes were on cloud nine when they got the pregnancy news, then they were on cloud nine _square _when they found out about the twins, a few months ago.

Robin swears she never wants to be this heavy again. Then she thinks about the two little miracles growing inside of her. That's when she starts doubting her previous thoughts. A never turns into a maybe.

Don accepts his brother's keys.

"Just make sure you get my car back to me unscathed. That means without bullet holes." He's joking and not joking at the same time.

"Nothing ever happened on the parking lot, Chuck."

"I just happen to like that car. That's all."

"Don't worry, Charlie. Besides, I'll have a replacement car before you know it."

"Good."

Don follows Robin to Charlie's car and like the gentleman he is, he opens the passenger's seat door for her.

-l-l-l-l-

There's not a lot of traffic on the road. An occasional car passes them. Don takes a few seconds to throw a quick glance at Robin. She looks like she's about to fall asleep, he notices.

"Almost there," he informs her.

She manages a soft _hmm_.

When he casts his eyes on the road again, he sees two cars on the other lane. It's the first car which grabs his full attention. The small blue car speeds up and changes lanes. Don sees the car coming, but there's not much he can do. It's on their lane, heading straight for them on a collision course. There's not nearly enough time. One thought goes through Don's head as he turns the wheel. He may just save Robin.

tbc

-l-l-l-l-

A/N: I feel like warning you and saying: 'the drama begins here'. Some of what I'm up to may surprise you (a lot or just a little or maybe not at all), but I've been planning this since the beginning of this fic. I'm not going to change what I have in mind, I just hope you're not too disappointed.

Extra note: I do realize that I'm not dealing with Robin's family. That doesn't mean that I don't acknowledge their existence. I will mention them, but I won't write them (not really anyway). I may change my mind later on, if I decide to rewrite this.


	5. Chapter 5

-l- Under the Moon -l-

-l- Chapter V -l-

| Disclaimer: I don't own Numb3rs or any of the characters. |

| Spoilers: None. Not yet. |

| Mistakes are mine. |

| Reviews are love. |

-l-l-l-l-

Joseph Lloyd sees the accident. He's so close he can feel it shaking his body core. It takes him a while to focus, to realize that he needs to do something, just react. His hands don't want to cooperate, but he tries to move, tries to do something. With his left hand he manages to track down his cell phone. It's like a bad dream he can't wake up from. He dials 911, with a shaky finger, but he manages to make the call that might save a few lives.

He hears a male voice asking him something about an emergency. _What's your emergency_? It's not exactly _his_ emergency. All he can think of is that all of this feels so unreal. He manages to explain what happened and give the operator his whereabouts. _They're on their way_. _He won't be alone much longer. He can handle this, he can handle the next couple of minutes_.

Joe still doesn't fully understand what it is that happened, but he knows that he can't just stay in his car and do nothing. Still shaking, he pushes his car door open. He runs to the wreckage. He runs, but still everything seems to move in slow motion, like all of this isn't really happening.

He reaches the blue car first. Maybe it's wrong of him to have thoughts like this, but he expects a middle-aged man with a bottle of beer in one of his hands. _A stereotype maybe_. Instead he finds a young man behind the wheel. _No bottle of beer_. This young man doesn't seem like the typical drunk driver, but what does he know? _Suicide_, flashes through his head. There's not much he can do here, if the odd angle of the man's neck is any indication.

Joe grimaces. This is not how he imagined his day when he woke up that morning. A couple of hours earlier he was complaining about work. As if work was something worth complaining about. Now he knows that it wasn't. His problems at work just don't seem important anymore.

As he makes his way to the other car, he hopes the person inside is better off. _Two people_, he sees through the broken window, a man and a woman. He reaches the driver's door, _what's left of that door_. There's no way of opening this door, he realizes after one attempt. This side of the car took the brunt of the impact.

He quickly runs to the other side of the car to try the passenger's door. This one opens without any problems. He finds the woman's wide eyes staring at him. _She's awake, she's alive_. _She's also very pregnant_, he thinks. The size of her belly frightens him. _She's expecting a baby_. All of this just makes this mess worse. She lifts her hands a little, that's when he notices the blood. A lot of it. It's like she can't speak, can't find the words. Like she's lost the ability to bring out any words.

Joe is terrified, truly terrified. He doesn't know how to react when he sees all the blood. She's alive, but he doesn't know for how long or how bad this _mess_ really is.

"Help is on its way," he finally says.

Her head moves to the left and Joe takes in the unconscious driver's condition. His mind was so occupied dealing with the woman he almost forgot about the man. His mind seems to be playing tricks on him. _More blood_, covering the driver's head. He carefully reaches for the man's neck and feels for a pulse. He's both surprised and relieved to find one. It's not the textbook example of a strong pulse, but at least it's there. _He's breathing_. Both of them are still alive. _Lucky_, but not really lucky at the same time. He ignores the wrong angle the man's arm is resting in. _Alive_. _That's what counts right now_.

"He's alive," he repeats out loud. He hopes that saying those words is enough for the woman to stay conscious, to hang in there.

He can hear the sirens. He can see help approaching. He's happy to leave them in the care of the EMTs.

"Sir, are you okay," he hears a voice.

He's just standing there, staring at nothing. _For how long?_

"Sir?"

"I'm fine," he tells the EMT. The only problem is that he doesn't believe his own words. "I saw the accident," he adds, "Are they going to be okay?"

"Too early to tell. We're ready to go to the hospital. Sir, I think you should come with us and talk to someone about what happened."

_Cops and possibly a shrink_.

There's no doubt in his mind. "I will."

tbc


	6. Chapter 6

-l- Under the Moon -l-

-l- Chapter VI -l-

| Disclaimer: I don't own Numb3rs or any of the characters. |

| Spoilers: None. |

| Mistakes are mine. |

| Reviews are love. |

-l-l-l-l-

He's moving. At least he thinks he is. When Don realizes he isn't moving any limbs at all, he decides moving is overrated anyway. His brain orders his eyelids to move, but they don't want to cooperate either. There's this fog he can't quite put a finger on. It's a weird feeling, like he's stuck between the real world and some kind of a dream. He doesn't know what's happening, but he wants to understand the situation. If only he could stay awake a little longer and find out. _Awake_, relatively speaking. He stops fighting sleep. He gives up.

-l-l-l-l-

Alan watches his son sleep. _He's just sleeping_, Alan keeps telling himself. Sleeping sounds _innocent_. Sleeping sounds natural, _normal_. He knows he's fooling himself, but he doesn't care. He needs that magic bubble. He closes his eyes and imagines Don at a baseball game, hitting a homerun. He imagines Margaret there, cheering with him. He misses her, she was the strong one. He opens his eyes and embraces the bubble he created.

"It's time to wake up now, son. Robin needs you," Alan explains. He doesn't mention how much _he_ needs his son to wake up. There are no words to express his feelings.

Maybe deep down his son knows that waking up isn't going to be a walk in the park. Maybe his body knows that he isn't going to like consciousness, the ability to think, the ability to realize what's going on. A part of Alan doesn't want his son to find out what happened, Don doesn't deserve this.

-l-l-l-l-

Robin cries when her parents leave the hospital room. She cries like she's never cried before. She wants to be strong, show herself that breaking down isn't necessary.

She can't wait, she needs to see him. She needs to tell Don to stop messing around and wake the hell up. She will use anger if she has to. She will kick his ass if she has to. She needs to get words through that thick skull of his. What she needs the most, what she _really_ needs, is for him to hold her. She doesn't want him to feel the pain she's feeling, but she wants him to mourn their loss with her because she can't do this on her own. She wants, no she _needs_ him to be her rock of support.

They won't let her see him, not yet. She should to rest. _Maybe tomorrow,_ the nurses tell her. Don't they see how much she needs this? Don't they understand that she isn't asking? She's going to his room whether they like it or not.

It's Alan who stops her. It's Alan who tells her it's okay to cry. It's also Alan who tells her that she's right, it's about time his son decided to wake up.

-l-l-l-l-

_Sometimes we need to __leave our comfort zone_. _Where do we hide when there's no place left to hide?_

Charlie works. That's what he tells one of the nurses. What he calls _work_, someone else would call a vigil. _Same difference_. He's not supposed to be here. He's doing what his brother would do, _his example_. He's not about to leave his brother's side. That's why he works. That's why he stares at his computer screen without typing any words. He needs to stay awake, be there if his brother wakes up. _When_ his brother wakes up.

He's there when Don wakes up, six hours later. Charlie's standing near the window, looking at the moon when he hears his brother's voice for the first time in a little over three days. It's barely a whisper, but he hears it.

"Chuck?"

He doesn't like it when Don calls him that, but today, only today, he loves it. He imagined this moment, but he still doesn't know what to say. Instead of saying anything pointless, he sits down and grabs his brother's right hand. He's careful, he doesn't want to mess with the IV there, but at the same time he doesn't want to be careful. He needs the contact.

"Robin?" Don asks.

What does he tell his big brother? He knows where this conversation is heading. What he doesn't know, is if Don can deal with this right now.

"She's going to be okay," he says at last. He doesn't give his brother any details. Now doesn't seem like the right time. _Never_ is the right time.

Don isn't stupid, even when he has a hard time keeping his eyes open. He still sees through Charlie's attempt to avoid this particular subject. He sees through people for a living. It's part of his job description.

"The babies?" Don pushes his brother for a decent reply.

Charlie doesn't want to, but he realizes he doesn't really have a choice. He tells his brother what happened.

tbc


	7. Chapter 7

-l- Under the Moon -l-

-l- Chapter VII -l-

| Disclaimer: I don't own Numb3rs or any of the characters. |

| Spoilers: None. |

| Mistakes are mine. |

| Reviews are love. |

A/N: Sorry for the delay, just Uni keeping me busy.

-l-l-l-l-

"Donnie, you know what the nurse told you. They need to-"

"Keep an eye on me? So I don't break?"

He wants to say more, but freezes when he sees the look on his dad's face. There's pain there, a lot of it. He notices the lines under his father's eyes. _Wrong choice of words_. His dad can't help glancing at the cast on his left arm and the one on his elevated left ankle.

"I'm fine, dad."

"Are you?" Alan shoots back, perhaps a bit too harshly. He regrets his tone the moment the words leave his mouth.

_Yes_ would be a lie. He isn't fine; not physically nor emotionally. The meds are messing with his head. _He should've seen the bags under his dad's eyes. He should've noticed how much all of this is affecting his dad_.

"Sorry," Don apologizes.

"I don't need you to be sorry, Donnie. I need you take care of yourself."

_When bruised and battered sounds like an understatement_.

Don's head hurts. Courtesy of the concussion, he guesses. Actually, come to think of it, his entire body hurts, but that's not nearly what hurts the most.

"You know what I really need, dad?"

Alan just waits for his son to continue.

"I need you to help me," Don explains before throwing the covers back.

"Wait," Alan stops him.

"Dad, I'm sick of waiting."

"I know, just give me a minute. I'll be right back. Stay put."

He gives his father the benefit of the doubt and waits. He hates it, but he manages to order his body to stay put.

-l-l-l-l-

Alan brings his son a surprise when he returns to Don's room. He wanted to bring a wheelchair and take him to see Robin. Instead, he found something better. _Someone _better.

Charlie is his co-conspirator, without even knowing it. While Alan was trying to find a way to bring Don to Robin, Charlie was helping Robin find Don. It's a coincidence, or maybe it isn't. Charlie's mind tells him it's a crazy anomaly, but one he's happy to be a part of.

Alan doesn't say a word when he pushes Robin's wheelchair inside. There's no '_look who I found in the corridor'_. He's just happy to see the two of them together again and hopes they can help each other. He reads the expression on his son's face. Don is far from _happy_, but he's extremely grateful.

"Just call me if you need anything. Or press the call button. _Don't hesitate_." He stresses the last part.

That's it, he leaves them be. He gives them the opportunity to talk and more importantly the time to think.

-l-l-l-l-

The door closes and the first thing she does, is reach for his right hand.

Don softly squeezes her hand in reply. He hates seeing the bruises, seeing the cuts on her face.

"Move over," she says. It's not a question. It sounds more like an order, but Don doesn't mind. He loves it. Her voice sounds like music to his ears. He doesn't let go of her hand, not even when she climbs onto the bed with him. It feels good to breathe again, to feel his body against hers.

She wraps her right arm around his chest and places her left cheek on his shoulder.

"You turned the wheel, didn't you?"

Don simply nods. She doesn't say anything else, she listens to his breathing, his heartbeat. _He's still here_.

The pressure of her arm on his ribs hurts, but he doesn't care. It's nice to feel her touch and he enjoys the moment, her presence.

Robin hesitates before she says, "I saw our little girl today. She's doing great. They're moving her to my room tomorrow."

That moment he loves her even more for giving him that extra bit of hope.

He asks the inevitable question, "How are _you_ doing?"

"Physically I'm okay. Cuts and bruises."

She doesn't have to explain the emotional part. He feels the pain she's experiencing. He _feels it_, feels what they've lost,_ who_ they've lost.

Robin doesn't want to let go and he doesn't want her to let go of him, break their embrace. They spend the next two hours holding each other, just because they can and because both of them need it.

-l-l-l-l-

"His name's Ethan Rodmore," David informs Charlie and Alan.

"Ethan Rodmore?" Charlie asks.

David immediately recognizes the look of recognition on Charlie's face. "You know him?"

"He used to be one of my students."

tbc


	8. Chapter 8

-l- Under the Moon -l-

-l- Chapter VIII -l-

| Disclaimer: I don't own Numb3rs or any of the characters. |

| Spoilers: None. |

| Mistakes are mine. |

| Reviews are love. |

A/N: Short update. Don't worry, I will finish this fic, but I have to admit that uni is still keeping me busy.

-l-l-l-l-

"I failed Ethan, dad. I failed him and that's when his life started falling apart."

"Charlie, you're not looking at all the facts here."

Alan doesn't like the lack of eye contact his youngest son is making. They're in the cafeteria, processing the information David just shared with them.

"Enlighten me. What am I missing here?" Charlie doesn't necessarily like the sound of his own voice when those words come out of his mouth, but the truth is that any other sound would be a lie. He's angry. He's in denial. At the same time he wants to crawl away and cry. This is his fault. _Fact_.

"Don't tell your brother. Not yet."

"Because he's going to blame me? Understandable, don't you think?"

Charlie rests his elbows on the table and uses his hands to hide his face, just for a moment.

"Don isn't going to blame you. He's going to blame Ethan Rodmore. He was the one behind the wheel, not you," Alan points out.

"It's not that easy."

Alan gives his son that much, a simple but true statement.

-l-l-l-l-

With her little hand, Margaret Eppes embraces her daddy's index finger. Robin observes the father of her child. Don's eyes say more than words; those brown eyes of his tend to do that a lot. That's something she likes about him.

They don't talk about the car crash or the baby they just lost. It's a fact that they can still work through this later. _Later_ sounds like a good time to deal with what happened.

Their pretty little angel doesn't realize what's going on.

"She looks like you," Robin observes. She's sitting on Don's bed cradling their little girl in her arms.

Don softly rubs the baby's belly with his right hand. "I disagree," he tells Robin, "her nose is definitely yours."

"I fear she's going to have your hair."

"You fear?" Don eyes her with wide eyes. Did Robin just say she fears the famous Eppes curls?

She gives him an innocent grin before kissing him on the mouth. "Maybe," she admits with a smile.

-l-l-l-l-

"Ready to go home?"

What worries Alan is the lack of response he's getting from his oldest son.

"Donnie?"

His son staring at the wall and avoiding eye contact isn't comforting either for the older man. It's only when he moves to the other side of the room that he sees the tears. _He should've seen this coming_. _He did see this coming, he just didn't know when exactly_.

Don breaks down. He can't stop the tears from forming and rolling down his face. He cries in front of his dad because he needs to be strong in front of Robin and their little girl.

"I can't do this," he admits.

He realizes he's afraid of losing Robin, losing his little girl, losing dad or Charlie, just like he lost his mom. He didn't break down like this when his mom passed away. He cries now, for his son and for his mom, for the both of them.

Alan doesn't say anything. He sits down in front of his son and grabs the younger man's hand in support.

tbc


	9. Chapter 9

-l- Under the Moon -l-

-l- Chapter IX -l-

| Disclaimer: I don't own Numb3rs or any of the characters. |

| Mistakes are mine. |

| Reviews are love. |

| **SPOILERS**: Uncertainty Principle (1x02) and The Fifth Man (5x20). I like to call these 'spoilers' _trivia spoilers_. You'll see why. I'm not giving anything major away.|

-l-l-l-l-

Charlie doesn't care if people call him crazy for taking so much time off from work, not even when it's his brother Don telling him this. Charlie just wants to feel useful. It's been three weeks since the accident and his brother's still not back to his old self, physically or emotionally. It's to be expected, he figures. One doesn't just bounce back from all of this.

'The accident' is what Don calls the nearly fatal car crash he was in. Nearly fatal for Don, Robin and his three weeks old little niece. _Fatal_ for his little nephew.

"Why don't you go back to work, Chuck?" Don is trying to enjoy a day at Charlie's place. He still doesn't want to talk about what happened. Instead, he tries to keep the moodlight. Today it's _Chuck_, not Charlie.

"I _am_ working." The younger Eppes points to his laptop to stress his words.

From his comfortable spot on the couch Don motions for Charlie to turn his laptop. "Prove it," he almost orders his little brother.

Don can't help frowning when he sees the Minesweeper window. _Not again_. He remembers the last time Minesweeper intrigued his brother.

"Please tell me you're not working on the P versus NP thing again."

Charlie looks up and locks eyes with his brother at that. There's no way he's avoiding the situation, _not this time_. He's not avoiding things, _Don is_. _Look who's talking_.

"I'm not," he defends himself.

"You're just playing Minesweeper?" Don finds that hard to believe. His brother doesn't just play Minesweeper without linking the mines and flags to formulae.

"Actually I am." It's a form of stress relief. It's his guilty pleasure, he just never told anyone. It may be an NP-complete problem, but that has nothing to do with the situation Charlie finds himself in.

Don's distracted, his eyes focusing on the cast covering his left forearm. Charlie can sense his older brother's frustration and knows that is not the right time to tell his brother the truth. It's been bothering him ever since he found out. He can't just keep this to himself any longer. Don needs to know that losing the baby was his fault. _Not the right time_, but he still tells his brother the truth.

-l-l-l-l-

Alan Eppes steals his son's baby for a moment, while Robin makes two important phone calls. One of the calls is work-related and the other is a call to her parents. Life moves on, even without her, she realizes.

She can't help the smile creeping onto her face when she hears Alan singing in the other room, Don's old room. This is why they came over in the first place, to feel normal again. Her smile only grows when she recognizes the song.

"_What do you see when you turn out the light?  
I can't tell you, but I know it's mine.  
Oh, I get by with a little help from my friends."_

He stops singing when she softly pushes the door open.

"No lullabies?" she asks.

"Margaret taught me a few right before Charlie's birth."

"You're honoring a tradition?" she guesses.

"I think that's it," he admits. The truth is that he doesn't feel very comfortable singing lullabies. The Beatles on the other hand, that's a different story.

She lets Alan hold her daughter a little while longer. Normalcy, that's all she wants.

-l-l-l-l-

Don's reaction isn't a reaction at all. It's just a stare, a look he can't describe even if he wanted to. He sees multiple emotions on his brother's face, but there's no anger as far as he can see.

"Don?" Charlie tries after giving his brother a few moments to think.

"Charlie, as much as I'd love to blame someone for what happened…" Don stops talking for a moment and studies his little brother's face. "I couldn't possibly blame you," he finally says. "This isn't your fault."

Charlie breathes an audible sigh of relief when he hears that. His brother's statement doesn't take his feelings of guilt away, but somehow he manages to breathe easier.

"I'm happy you finally told me," Don continues.

Charlie looks up at that. He didn't even realize he was staring at his hands the whole time. "You knew?" he wonders out loud.

Don nods. "David told me."

tbc

A/N: One more chapter after this. I also wrote a one-shot which can be considered as a tiny sequel to this fic.


	10. Chapter 10

-l- Under the Moon -l-

-l- Chapter X -l-

| Disclaimer: I don't own Numb3rs or any of the characters. |

| Mistakes are mine. |

| Reviews are love. |

| Spoilers: none |

A/N: Sorry for the wait.

-l-l-l-l-

Robin wakes up in the middle of the night and finds the other side of the bed empty. Not seeing Don there frightens her, maybe even more than it should. Her fear's irrational, she knows that. Don didn't leave her. She even knows where he is, where he went in the middle of the night. She gets out of bed and starts her search.

She finds him staring at their daughter. "Did she wake you?"

"No, I just needed to see her," he admits. _Make sure she's still here_. He doesn't add those thoughts, he doesn't have to. She knows exactly what he's thinking.

"She's sleeping like a baby," he jokes.

She takes a step closer and kisses him on the cheek. It's just a quick kiss, but it means the whole world. It means life.

Don loses his balance a little when she leans into him. He forgets about the vase behind him when he takes a step back. The sound of the vase breaking is followed by their daughter crying on top of her little lungs.

She breaks their embrace and smiles at him. "Good job, Don Eppes, you just woke her up."

"She must be hungry," he reasons.

"Or, she heard you break my mother's vase," Robin deadpans.

"Sorry about that," he whispers in return.

"Don't worry about it. It was one hell of an ugly vase anyway."

Their baby's cry for attention catches their ears again.

Robin yawns. "You woke her up, you fix this. I'm going back to bed," she orders with a smile on her face. She quickly squeezes his hand before going back to bed.

"Yes, ma'am."

The truth is that he doesn't mind. He doesn't mind at all. He carefully lifts the baby out of the cradle and holds her against his chest. It takes a few long moments, but after a while Maggy falls asleep again.

-l-l-l-l-

"She's not a melon," Don points out with a smirk on his face. He can't help feeling happy and even excited for the first time in the last couple of weeks. He finally feels like he's breathing again and like the nightmare, he finds himself in, is finally coming to an end.

The math professor gives his older brother a hurt look in return. "Funny. You do realize that I've held her before and that I didn't drop her then?"

"I'm kidding. I'm not worried, Charlie."

"You're going to miss her."

"I already miss her," Don admits, "but I know she's safe here."

"Dad's going to spoil her."

"Wouldn't surprise me, but can't say that I blame him."

The short silence which falls isn't an awkward one.

"Thanks, buddy," Don adds.

"We can handle three days. Don't worry, it's okay to leave."

"Okay." Don catches himself smiling.

He rubs the baby's belly one more time. "Take care of your uncle Chuck, Maggy."

-l-l-l-l-

It's only three days, a short trip. It's something they need to do together, just the two of them. It's not really a choice or a big decision. It's a get-out-of-the-jail-that-is-currently-your-life-free card. They finally get a chance to breathe and think about the future.

There's a thin line between love and hate, reason and irrationality. Sometimes lines get crossed, people lose themselves. Sometimes things happen which shouldn't happen, _but they do_. Life's a cruel joke, it's everything it shouldn't be.

_On other days_, _life is simply beautiful_. Don holds on to that. If he's able to believe in a bright future, then he can do this. He can live this life and be the father Robin wants him to be. He just needs to make sure he doesn't cross any of these lines himself.

Don takes Robin's hand and leads her to the hotel room's balcony.

He gives her a short moment to take in the view. Without noticing it he mirrors her stance by leaning his arms on the balcony railing. He takes a few more minutes to observe her.

"Robin," he finally starts talking.

She shifts her gaze from the crescent moon to Don's face.

"I don't know if… if I can be the man you deserve to spend the rest of your days with." He has a hard time finding all the right words, but somehow he manages to continue, "What I'm trying to say is that I want to try to be that man. I want you to know that-"

She interrupts him, because she knows where his words are going and because she wants him to know that she feels the exact same way.

"Yes," she says before he has a chance to continue.

"Yes?" he repeats.

"I'll marry you Don Eppes."

He smiles at her mind reading abilities. Don quickly digs a small box out of his pocket and opens it for her to see the ring inside.

"It's beautiful," she says as she allows him to put it on her finger.

"You know, I planned this romantic speech."

She kisses him on the mouth. "Don't talk, show me."

He only manages to produce a quick_ okay_ before she pulls him inside the hotel room.

_True happiness is impossible to achieve, we can only make the best __of life. We can only try. We should try to be who we want to be and maybe then we can find a way to feel happy._

**The end**

A/N: I'd like to thank everyone for reviewing. Reviews keep me going and they certainly make me happy, so a big thanks to all of you.

I still have a short "sequel" planned. Actually, it's more like a scene in the future. You'll see.


End file.
